PPA - Current Work & Guidance Documentation

Communications Policy

(3/22/2012) Building on the February 2011 Scientific Integrity Policy, the Office of Policy Analysis led the drafting of the DOI Policy on Public Communications. The Policy ensures the free flow of scientific, scholarly and technical information.Departmental Manual Chapter

Scientific Integrity Policy

(2/1/2011) The Office of Policy Analysis played a key role in the development of DOI's first Policy on Scientific and Scholarly Activities. The policy is based on principles found in the September 2010 Secretarial Order on Ensuring Scientific Integrity within the Department of the Interior and guidance from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.Press Release | Departmental Manual Chapter

DOI Report on Unused Oil and Gas Leases

On March 11, 2011, President Obama asked the Department of the Interior to determine the acreage of public lands (onshore and offshore) that have been leased to oil and gas companies and remain undeveloped, noting that companies should be encouraged to produce energy from leases that they are holding.

In response to this request, the Office of Policy Analysis collected data on oil and gas leasing and production for Federal onshore and offshore areas from the USGS, BLM, and Bureau of Ocean Energy, Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE).

The report concluded that the Department offered substantial acreage for potential oil and gas development in 2009 and 2010 that was not subsequently leased by bidding parties. In addition, for areas that are under lease, there are ten of millions of acres sitting idle - that is, not undergoing exploration, development or production.

America's Great Outdoors Initiative

The Office of Policy Analysis provided support for the President's America's Great Outdoors (AGO) Initiative. Policy Analysis staff supported the interagency effort to draft the AGO report, including developing the Summary of Federal Government Programs in the report (Appendix C). More information about the AGO and the full report can be found at AGO website. http://americasgreatoutdoors.gov.

The Adaptive Management Working Group

The Office of Policy Analysis staffs the Assistant Secretary - Policy, Management, and Budget who chairs Interior's Adaptive Management Working Group, which includes representatives of Interior's bureaus and offices, in developing an Adaptive Management guidebook, training programs, and web site.

The Working Group's ongoing products include:

Identifying the conditions appropriate for using Adaptive Management;

Identifying legal considerations

Describing a process for evaluating the effectiveness of Adaptive Management; and

Developing an Adaptive Management Applications Guide to describe the practice of adaptive management through examples in some thematic areas of importance to DOI, namely climate change, water, energy, and human impacts on the landscape.

The Working Group for the Inter-Agency Recreation Fee Program

The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act provides the legal framework for the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, and U.S. Forest Service to collect recreation fees on lands they manage and use those fees to maintain and enhance recreation facilities and opportunities. The Office of Policy Analysis participates on the inter-agency Working Group that is responsible for implementing the Act.

The Office of Policy Analysis led the Working Group in preparing the 2012 Triennial Report to Congress on Implementation of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which was completed in May, 2012.

Guidance Documents

The Office of Policy Analysis has published guidance materials addressing various topics. These include guidance document on analytical and consultation requirements under the unfunded mandates reform act (UMRA), the regulatory flexibility (RF) act amendments,and E.O. 12866.